Musical instrument



(No Model.)

W SGHNEIDER MUSICAL INSTRUMBNT.

No. 590,631. Patented Sept. 28,1897.

UNrrnn S'rarns WILLIAM SCHNEIDER,

Patent* rrrcn,

or DUBWUQUE, IowA MUSHCAL INSTRUMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 590,631, datedSeptember 28, 189'7.

Application filed August 25, 1896.

To all whom/ it may 007208772:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM SOHNEIDR, a citizen of the United States,residing in the city and county of Dubuque and State of Iowa, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements iu Musical Instruments; andI do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the in vention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

In most of the musical stringed instruments now in use of the class inwhich the strings are ribrated by a metal or celluloid pick applied tothe string, such as the mandolin, and especially in those instrumentswhere the strings are set so close together that one string cannot bepressed by the finger without pressing upon others next to the same, itrequires two separate instrument-s and operators to produce or play boththe soprano and alto, or the first and second, of a given tune at thesame time.

To combine the two instruments and so4 adapt a single instrument that asingle op erator can readily and distinctly produce or play both thefirst and second of a tune at the same time is the leading' object ofthis invention.

lVith the above and other minor objects and advantages in view theinvention consists in the novel construction and arrangement of thedifferent parts of the instrument, which will be specially defined,illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in theappended olaims.

Figure 1 is a perspective of the instrument with part of the keysremoved. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of one of the keys. Fig. 3 is a sideelevation of another of the keys. Fig. Li is a side elevation of therest for each set of keys, and Fig. 5 shows a cross-section of the blockand one of the keys.

Like letters of reference indicate like throughout the several views.

Referring now to the details of the drawin gs by letter, A designates asounding-board, which'is secured to the upper surface of the box B inthe usual manner. The shape of the instrument shown in Fig. 1 representsthe parts usual form for an instrument of this kind erial No. 603,890.(No model.)

where it is played while rest-iug upon a table, but it may be of anyother shape.

To the lower end of 'the instrument are fast-ened pins or buttons D, towhich one end of the strings is secured. Near the buttons D, upon thesounding-board A, is fastened an elevation or bridge E, over which thestrings are stretched. This bridge has in its upper edge a series ofgrooves e at the required distance apart for separating the strings. At'tached to the upper end of the instrument is a pin-block F, in which theblock-pins d (TZ are f secu red.

The strings a and b are fastened at one end to the button D and at theother end to the block-pins d, and are brought to the desired tension orkey by the usual tuning-wrench.

In the present instrument there are shown nine strings, arranged inthree sets, in each of which sets the two strings a a are for producingthe soprano or first sound and the string` b in each set for the alto orsecond sound. This is the same whether the strings are the fine gut andsteel strings or the larger wire-wound strings, and the number and kindof strings are immaterial.

Across the sounding-board A are set two bars G, which bars are connectedtogether by a round bar H, one for each set of strings. On the bar IIare pivoted the keys presently to be described. Parallel with the bar IIis secured between the bars G a block I. (Shown in Fig. 4.) It is placedat a distance of nearly the length of said keys from the bar H, for thepurpose present-l y to appear. The basef of the block I is in ahorizontal plane and its upper surface formed into notchesg. Across thetop of the block I and spanning the notches g is a strip of rubber orother fiexible material h, the object of which will presently appear.

The keys K and L in Figs. 2 and 3 are preferably rectangular blocks ofmetal, through one end of which is drilled a hole i for pivoting the keyon the bar ll. Crosswise of the keys, on their under sides, are formedreetangular recesses k. It will be noticed that the recess in the key Kis nearer the hole than the same recess in the key L. The obj ect ofthis is to permit the recess 7a in the key K to span the two strings a aand impinge IOO upon the string b when the key is pressed down inplaying, and the reeess 7; in the key L to span the string Z) andimpinge upon the strings aa. The keys are hollowed out upon the side atZ for the purpose of lessening the weight, and there is also a raisedportion n upon their upper surface, upon which the operator presses whenOperating the same when the keys to be pressed are a considerabledistance apart.

In Fig. 1 a full set of keys is shown in position to operate upon thefirst set of strings, and only two keys are shown with the second andthird sets of strings; but it will be under` stood that all three havethe same keys and are arranged in the same ma nner as shown in the'first set.

The manner of Operating my device is as follows: The strings ay and Z)are brought to a proper tension by the means hereinbefore described. Inthe present instance the strings a a are both tuned to the same pitchand the string Z) to a third lower pitch than the strings a. The keys Kand L are strnng upon the bar II,com1nencing with the key K, then key L,then alternating with the keys K and L, till all of the space on the barII is occupied. The number of keys of course will Vary according to theCompass of the instrument. The operator then presses upon the desiredkey K to Vary the pitch of the strings by chan ging their Vibratinglengths, and thns enable the operator to produce the soprano or first ofa tune, and this pressure brings the metal key upon the strings a, butspans the string b by the recess k. At the same time the operatorpresses upon one of the keys L to pro-' duce the alto or second, and atthe same time he Vibrates both the a and Z) strings by the i usual pick.The above action will produce both the first and second of the tunesimultaneously and produce the same effect as though the same tune wereplayed by two persons with two instruments, .neplaying the iii-standtheotherthesecond. Atoachchango of the K keys a corresponding l; keywill bo used. lVhen the pressure is removed from the keys, the rubber ltupon the bar l will elevate the keys from contact with the strings andhold them out of such contact.

I'Iaving now described iny invention, what I claim, and desire to obtainby lLetters Patent, is-

1. In a musical instrument, a soundingboard, strings stretched above it,rods extend' ing parallel with the strings, and keys pivoted upon saidrods, combined with rcsts for the free ends of the keys, and which restsextend parallel with the strings and rods, and are provided withnotches, and a flexible upper surface for holding the keys normally outof contact with the strings, substantially as dcscribed.

2. A musical instrument provided with groups of parallel strings, twosets of pivoted keys for each group of strings to operate in connectiontherewith, and rods on which the said keys are pivoted, combined withnotched rests for the free ends of the keys, rubber covers which arestretched above said rests and support the free ends of the keysnormally above the strings; the two sets of keys being notched in theirlower edges where they span the strings substantially as set forth.

3. A musical instrument consisting of a sounding-board strings a, andl), keys K, and L, pivoted to said sounding-board, said keys havingrecesses 7.:, rest I, with notches q, and rubber h, as and for thepurposes shown.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

VM. SCllNElDlEl-t.

Witnesses:

M. M. CADY, E. E. CA'DY.

